Spark was really enjoying the long walk back to the Fortress. A heavy load had been raised from her chest the moment Zhyan closed the threshold. In spite of the fatigue she felt, she could breathe freely now. Even the sunlight was brighter.
Zhyan smiled when she undertook the persecution of a butterfly and laughed like would do a small girl. Her slender figure was swaying, dancing with the flowers and rejoicing on life. Her laughter, mixed with her silver jewelry tinkle was music to deikindrian ears. Her bright, long hair followed her as a black aureole over her head. Laughing, she let go the colorful insect and turned to see her beloved angel.
Zhyan shuddered; it was the loveliest smile she had ever given him. It sent a shiver to his spine.
She hurried back to him and wrapped his shoulders with her arms, hugging him tightly. Zhyan felt himself blush as she slowly moved her palms on his back, pressing his body against hers. Her hands searched and caressed the back of his neck, pulling him down towards her luscious mouth. He could not fight against that impulse and bent happily to brush her eager lips with his own, sharing her warm breath. His arms held her in a tight embrace, while his eyes looked deep in her brown eyes before they kissed. A long, deep and sensuous kiss that made their bodies tremble. After some minutes, Zhyan pulled away from her, sighed deeply and grabbed her left hand. They continued the walk back home.
"Home." He thought and looked down to the human girl who adored him and was now clinging to his right arm. Dark images and bad memories menaced to stain that moment but he shook his head to get rid of them. He wanted to let those moments go. The time to think about that little issue would come later.
Spark sighed happy, content. The trial they had endured recently was finished at last, and they were now together. She tightened the grip on his arm, almost purring in satisfaction. "I wish we could stay like this together... forever." She trembled at the time she had this thought and rested her head on his arm. She noticed Zhyan was shaking his head and she looked him.
"Are you tired? Do you want to stop for a moment and rest?" She used her hand to remove some strands of hair off of his face.
He looked at her and smiled. "I was going to ask you the same thing." He had sensed her tremor. He kissed her forehead, used his arm to wrap her waist and pulled her out of the trail they were walking.
Birds and insects were very still when they approached. The couple moved among the grass and the long stemmed weeds and laughed as low branches pulled their hair.
He took Spark by the waist to hold her against him. She combed his locks with her fingers, her eyes lost within his lilac gaze and Zhyan hugged her tighter. Kissing her cheek he released her and both kept walking, holding each other�s hand.
"Where are we going?" She asked him again.
"It is a shortcut.� He said. "I think.� He looked around as to make sure of it. "Are you sure I can't take you home flying?" He asked her with a mischievous grin and brilliant eyes.
Spark pouted slightly. Though she did trust Zhyan and knew she was safe with him, she was not fond of heights.
"You are tired and it would not be wise." Was her answer.
Zhyan smiled. He was teasing her, of course. He loved the way she placed her lips together when she was worried about him. They kept walking among the glen and though seemingly absorbed in their joyful play as they tried to tickle each other, both were aware and ready for any eventuality, such as the attack of a feral creature, or some other author having fun by the same place.
They listened the sound of laughter. Walking farther, they found a river where several wollo children played on its bend. Their moms were not far away, busily washing clothes and keeping an eye on their kids. Not minding about them at all, the couple of authors continued walking on the river bend and soon left them behind.
This place was new to Spark and she suspected it was also new for Zhyan. The forest around them was thicker but not by a great deal. Promptly they reached a small canyon and the forest gave space for several chanting springs which ran clear upon beds of stone. In the middle of it, a medium sized lagoon shaped as a bowl, was fed by a small waterfall. Deep enough for a swim, the lagoon's water was cold in its center but warm on its edges, where slow tides lapped up the stones warmed by the sun. It was a delightful sight.
Spark smiled. �May we rest here, Zhy?� she asked. �I would love to�.
The Archangel of Destruction looked around and found the place very appealing. He nodded and she gleamed. They chose a dry spot near the little waterfall. The stones were mildly warm and some bushes incrusted in the canyon walls at Zhyan�s eye level provided them with shade. Spark retrieved from her purse a couple of blankets which she layered over the stones. They were thick enough to be comfortable and to let the warmth from the stones pass through them. While she did so, Zhyan walked out of the canyon towards the forest and he was soon back with some figs from a tree he had seen before. He used a large leaf as a tray to carry and wash them.
They sat on the blankets and allowed themselves to relax for some moments talking of how lovely the site was. Then, Zhyan took one fig and offered it to Spark. She smiled and took the small fruit, pulling it apart to fed him with it. Zhyan took her hand and kissed it. She blushed and used that hand to hold his face while she kissed him lightly.
She took another fig and tore it again in tiny pieces, delivering the morsels to Zhyan�s expecting mouth. He was enjoying the attention she was giving him. A lot. But Spark kept throwing glances at the pond from time to time.
�Do you want to swim?� Zhyan asked her, smiling.
�Yes!� she said.
�Lets do it then!�
�I have some swimming suits in my purse!� Spark searched in the aformentioned item and pulled out the garments. Hers was a dark red suit.
�What you don�t have in there?� he asked, amused.
�Oh, well, I do not have a walk in microwave, nor a particle accelerator, but I do have some other gizmos.� She answered and gave him a black swimming trunk. �It has plenty space.�
�How convenient.� Said the archangel as he took the garment.
Remembering the wollo people down stream, they thought some one might walk on them. Zhyan used the bushes and blankets to build a small tent where they could change. Spark was ready first and rushed into the water, giggling.
"You can�t catch me!!" He heard her say. The archangel turned and saw her in the water, splashing and swimming away from him. Zhyan grinned. With effort he removed his long boots and trousers, falling once due to the haste. By the time he was ready, Spark had reached the center of the lagoon and she was floating there, observing him.
She watched how he searched for her and she silently dove under the water. It was so quiet that she could listen when he entered into the little lake with just the sound of the falling water to muffle his noise. She watched the burst of bubbles and waves his powerful strokes produced and she swam beneath him with great stealth, searching the refuge the stonewalls could provide. Her skin was chilled due to the cold water making her tremble.
She knew Zhyan was in the middle of the lagoon by now, while she was close to the waterfall. Its sound disguised the noise she made when she emerged. The curtain of water concealed a small depression on the rock to where she climbed and sit down there, using it to hid and recover her breathe. She planned to surprise Zhyan and she giggled to give him a hint on her position.
And he heard her. He could listen her laughter, so she was out of the water! But, where? He turned everywhere, trying to spot her.
The lagoon was not too deep, but it was deep enough to keep the water cold and dark. He was used to that kind of cold but Spark was not. Her preferred element was fire and he always found her quarters a bit too hot and that worried him a little.
Zhyan swirled around. He heard a splash and some waves reached him. With a big smile, he dived down. There she was! Just a couple of meters of him.
He could see her silhouette as she swam away from him, going lower into the darkest parts. He pursued her, amazed of the speed she was capable of. He would show her that his wings were useful beneath the water as much as aloft in the air!
He heard another noise, at the surface. He looked up fearing somebody had joined them in the pool, perhaps some children. But he saw no one. He returned his attention to the hunt. He looked around him and could not find her. Again, he had lost the track of his lover.
The archangel was puzzled at her disappearance but also he was beginning to worry. He seemed unable to find her!!
Perhaps she was trapped in the crevices of the bottom? He took a look but could not see a thing. Suddenly, he felt a contraction on his legs. A cramp!
He could not bend one of his legs as much as he tried, and the other one was shaking out of control! Unable to move his legs at will, Zhyan tried to swim back to less deep waters but could not coordinate his body to do so. He then tried to flap his wings but that did not work! He found himself dragged down fast to the depths of the pool and fighting to swim up. He tried to focus into a teleport but failed to do so.
Zhyan looked down, expecting to see the bottom of the pond and planning to use it to push himself up again. To his dismay, he was sinking real fast into a large fissure, too deep and obscure to distinguish its end.
His sudden descent was abruptly stopped. Zhyan felt a hand grabbing his wrist. He looked up and saw Spark holding him and trying to carry him up. She battled for a moment, trying to defeat his momentum until she succeeded.
He helped her as much as he could, aware that she could not have much air left. When they were in the middle of the ascent, both were almost caught in a strong current, but Zhyan�s cramp had subsided enough for him to impulse them both the final distance, escaping that stream.
They both hit the surface of the water, their lungs craving air. They embraced each other, panting to recover their breath. She did not want to swim back to the shore so, Spark led Zhyan to the small cave behind the waterfall, which was nearer to them.
�Are you ok?� She asked, making him sit down. �What happened?�
�A cramp.� He panted his answer, still shaken. �I was searching for you and I had a cramp.�
She was submerged up to her waist, very close to him and to the rock wall. He was seated in little more than two feet of clear water. The water around them was cold, not too deep and Spark made him stretch out his legs, using the water to help him support the weight. She started to massage and rub his legs vigorously. Her skillful hands found the knots in his muscles and undid them. Zhyan emitted a deep sigh and relaxed under her ministrations.
Spark and Zhyan remained seated for a long moment, until they decided their skins were wrinkled enough. They swam to the bend and lay there on the blankets, allowing their warmth to cradle them into a blissful sleep.
When they awoke not much later, they noticed it was after midday. They gathered their things so they could return to the Fortress.
�If we do not get lost first.� Said Spark and kissed him.
Zhyan smiled. �It�s not my fault everything look so different from down here. I usually do not have problems finding my way in the air.�
�What about in the water?� She was teasing him and was very surprised when he cringed at her comment.
�Perhaps if you do not try so hard to stay away from me�� he said and hugged her � I was fearing I might not reach you.�
Spark frowned. It had been she who had reached for him. She hugged him back. Tightly.
* * * * * *
"I tell you, they won't get out!" Said the chubbiest of the children.
"They will... they are different.� Said a wollo girl. "They went into the canyon without fear!"
"They are ignorants! No one has ever left that creek!" Another boy said while he poked the girl on the chest. "Our mom told us! It does not matter if they are not wollo nor bolkians, they won't make it!!"
A larger hand prevented him from keep poking the girl.
"What about a dare?" the hand's owner asked. He was the little girl's brother and he squeezed the arm he held within his grasp.
The three other children stared at him.
* * * * * *
Spark kissed Zhyan and he blushed and hugged her tightly, letting her go to sigh happily.
�Are you sure you do not want me to�?� He asked.
�Yes, I am sure� Spark said �We will walk.�
He grinned and kissed her again. He wrapped her waist with his left arm and led her out of the canyon, wanting to return to the Fortress.
Spark turned just to see the pond once more, wondering why her nape felt so heavy.
* * * * *
"You owe us two candy fruit pies!" The little girl jumped around the chubby and the other boy while her brother smiled at them. "One to each of us!!"
"But, how did you know they would come out?" asked the chubby one "I don't think even the Thundercats could come out, specially the one they call Tygra."
"Because those two are Authors!" said the older child "No one messes with authors except other authors!�
The four children watched as the couple walked away. But they had not been the only ones.
* * * * * *
She was observing them as they picked up the blankets.
::They are kissing!! Agh!::
She had failed this time! But she was sure they would return soon and she could have another opportunity. And if they did not do that, she had other ways to reach him and make him hers.
One way or another, that wretched girl would not have him any more. She was pretty but, by all that was magical, she was a mortal! And a human! No human had even been close to her spring since countless moons. And no mortal had escaped her pond before! Never! Undine would take care of that little detail. And then, this handsome immortal, would be hers.
:: �Zhyan�. You�ll see. You will just see me once more and you�ll fly to me! To be embraced by me, mine forever� ::
Undine smiled.
TBC